Santa Clara Broncos vs Washington State Cougars Prediction, 2/22/2025 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Santa Clara Broncos vs Washington State Cougars

Date: Saturday, February 22, 2025

Location: Beasley Coliseum in Dekalb, IL

TV: ESPN+

The Washington State Cougars (16-12) will take on the Santa Clara Broncos (17-10) at Beasley Coliseum on Saturday.

The Santa Clara Broncos stepped onto the hardwood against St. Mary's and took a loss by a final of 73-64 in their last contest. Santa Clara finished with a 40.4% field goal percentage (23 of 57) and buried 9 of 24 3-point shots. When they shot from the charity stripe, the Broncos buried 9 of 11 attempts for a rate of 81.8%. When it comes to grabbing rebounds, they earned a total of 24 with 7 of them being on the offensive end. They also distributed 17 assists for this game while creating 12 turnovers and earning 7 steals. In reference to the defense, Santa Clara allowed the other team to go 53.2% from the field on 25 out of 47 shooting. St. Mary's earned 14 assists and had 7 steals in the matchup. On top of that, St. Mary's pulled down 27 rebounds (6 offensive, 21 defensive), but didn't notch a block. St. Mary's finished shooting 70.8% when shooting free throws by making 17 of their 24 attempts. They also buried 6 out of their 14 shots from long range. In relation to fouls, the Broncos ended up finishing with 19 while St. Mary's finished the game with 15 fouls.

Johnny O'Neil is a guy who was important in this contest. He totaled 18 points on 6 of 13 shooting. He played for 35 mins and also grabbed 6 rebounds. He went 46.2% from the floor and dished out 2 assists.

Get all of our NCAA Betting Picks

Santa Clara enters this game with a record of 17-10 on the season. They average 80.3 points per game (44th in Division 1) while connecting on 46.8% from the field. The Broncos are shooting 36.5% on 3-point shots (277 of 758) and 73.2% from the free throw line. As a unit, Santa Clara is pulling in 37.7 rebounds per game and is sitting with 454 assists this year, which has them ranked 18th in D-1 in terms of passing. They turn the ball over 12.0 times per game and as a group they commit 16.8 personal fouls per game.

On the defensive end, the Broncos are forcing 11.9 turnovers per contest while drawing 15.9 fouls. They give up 31.1% on three-point shots and they are 201st in college in opponents points per game (72.3). The Broncos defense is giving up a shooting percentage of 42.7% (691 of 1,617) and they relinquish 33.5 boards per game as a team. They are 314th in the nation in allowing assists to the opposition with 396 conceded this year.

When they last played, the Washington State Cougars walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 84-63 when they played Gonzaga. In regard to team rebounding, Washington State permitted Gonzaga to grab 31 in all (7 offensive). They shot 46.7% from beyond the perimeter by shooting 7 out of 15 and finished the contest at 19 out of 20 from the charity stripe (95.0%). The Cougars permitted Gonzaga to convert 29 of 56 tries from the floor which gave them a rate of 51.8% for this game. Overall, the Cougars finished 24 for 59 from the field which had them shooting 40.7%. With respect to shots from distance, Washington State converted 9 out of 25 tries (36.0%). They were able to convert 6 of them for a percentage of 75.0%. Gonzaga earned 14 personal fouls in this game which took the Cougars to the free throw line for 8 tries. They also gave up possession 14 times, while earning 5 steals for the game. The Cougars recorded 14 defensive boards and 8 offensive boards for a total of 22 for the matchup.

LeJuan Watts ended up being a major contributor for the Cougars in the matchup. He buried 7 out of 13 in the matchup for a rate of 53.8%, and accounted for 3 rebounds. He tallied 19 points in his 28 mins on the hardwood and accounted for 5 assists for this game.

Washington State has a win-loss mark of 16-12 so far this season. The Cougars have committed 19.3 personal fouls every game and they connect on 70.8% from the charity stripe. They are assisting teammates 16.3 times per contest (41st in Division 1) and they turn it over 14.8 times per game. Washington State has accounted for 2,170 points for the season (77.5 per contest) and they snag 34.1 rebounds per contest. On the offensive side of the ball, the Cougars are hitting on 48.6% from the floor, which is ranked 22nd in the nation.

The Washington State defense surrenders 32.3% on 3-point attempts (212 of 657) and their opposition knocks down 71.8% of their shots from the free throw line. They have surrendered 13.6 assists and 33.1 rebounds per game, which is ranked 236th and 106th in D-1. The Cougars are ranked 310th in Division 1 in PPG surrendered with 76.6. They are forcing their opponents into 12.4 TO's per game and have allowed teams to shoot 44.7% from the floor (240th in D-1).

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Washington State

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here